One issue I have with the whole region counting debate, is that no matter which way it evolves, it misses the point as far as users are concerned.
Users enjoy exploring regions that are full of content they find interesting, or they enjoy building a world of their own, or they enjoy meeting up with friends or associates.
Kitely has a directory that helps people find such places, and Second Life has their own variation on that idea. Here, though, it seems more like the argument is focusing exclusively on an admittedly inadequate counting system, rather than simply promoting unique advantages of each service and then letting the customer decide.
Ilan makes a valid point that whatever standard is applied to measuring the activity on one grid must be applied equitably on all grids. Alex makes the valid point that current counting methods have shortcomings, which also applies across grids and is not unique to Kitely. Arbitrarily declaring that three months of inactivity is grounds for leaving a region out of a count, or that a certain number of user minutes should be the measure that determines the active status of a world, seems to lead nowhere, especially since disagreement over the measurement standard to use is sure to ensue.
What about stepping back from this debate and focusing on the real draws for users: value, service and compelling content.
For many years, the Toyota Camry was the best selling car in America. So, I bought two Chevrolets anyways. I didn’t go shopping for a statistic, rather I went shopping for the best automobiles to fit my needs and desires. I think this is how people approach virtual worlds as well.